Haunting Halloween Cocktails

Shove the kids aside: Halloween is for adults. And especially with these haunting Halloween cocktails made from some of the finest witches’ brews and devilish elixirs on the market today.

From Sweden, land of the Vikings, there’s Kanon Organic Vodka, distilled in the country’s oldest distillery, which was once a cannon foundry. Make of that what you will, but this is one tasty treat, as easy to sip, thanks to a no-burn finish, as it is to mix into a "Witches Brew." Exercise caution. Beezlebub might appear.

As for Riazul Tequila, be forewarned when drinking "Fake Blood." Dracula doesn’t have a sense of humor. Offer him a sip and see if he doesn’t join you in another round.

Not to be outdone, Kahlúa has introduced its latest sinful treat: Kahlúa Cinnamon Spice, which infuses the ever-popular rum and coffee liqueur with flavors of brown sugar and cinnamon. You might think of Kahlúa Cinnamon Spice as the femme fatale of Halloween, a little bit Dita Teese with a splash of Lizzie Borden. Beware what you drink; you don’t know where you’ll wind up with this one.

Made in the Netherlands, EFFEN® Vodka derives its names from a Dutch word meaning "smooth and balanced." Given that it’s Halloween, you might imagine this vodka as Beetlejuice, a smooth and balanced gentleman gone a little bit off his rocker.

Based on a century-old Dutch recipe, EFFEN® Vodka comes in a sleek and slender bottle, sheathed in a rubber sleeve that acts as a both a grip and an insulator to keep the vodka icy cold. Recently embraced as the elixir of choice by fashion designers such as Zac Posen, Derek Lam, and Phillip Lim, EFFEN® Vodka might well be your entrée into the ghoulish World of Fashionista.

Our advice? Mix up a batch of EFFEN® Cucumber Vodka Bloody Marys for Halloween brunch. What could be more lethal?

A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.

Karen Foley, founder and publisher of Imbibe Magazine, said, "In compiling the recipes for The American Cocktail, we looked for a cross-section of bartenders who represent the creativity and diversity of American cocktail culture."